Yesterday the Oilers signed defenceman Johan Motin to a three-year entry-level contract.

The 19-year-old native of Karlskoga, Sweden, is expected to play with the Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate in Springfield next season.

"He's not a guy that gets up the ice a lot, but he's very strong in his own end," said Oilers assistant general manager Kevin Prendergast. "He's extremely strong, a good skater and moves the puck well out of his own end.

"He played in Sweden with Farjestads this year as a 19-year-old and at the end of the season he was getting a regular shift."

The Oilers are counting on Motin being a solid stay-at-home defenceman. He won't be breaking any scoring records.

In 52 games with Farjestads of the Swedish Elite League, Motin had three assists with 28 penalty minutes. He added another assist in 13 playoff games as Farjestads went on to win the league title.

It was his third season with the top tier club, having made his debut as a 17-year-old.

He won a silver medal with Sweden at the 2008 World Junior championships, losing to Canada in the final. He also won a bronze medal at the World Under-18 championships the year before.

The Oilers selected Motin with their second pick in the fourth round (103 overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

He's listed at six-foot-one, 202-pounds, but has already begun to fill out.

"He's bigger than that now," Prendergast said. "He's probably closer to six-foot-two, 215 pounds. He's a big kid and a good skater with good pedigree and has a lot of potential. He's the type of defenceman we need in our system."